Jupiter attempts to moderate his divine form before appearin…

Jupiter attempts to moderate his divine form before appearing to Semele: “Yet he did what he could to insulate / And filter / The nuclear blast / Of his naked impact… / He chose / A slighter manifestation.” / Yet Semele is instantly consumed, and the foetus is rescued and sewn into Jove’s thigh. What does Jupiter’s failed attempt to filter his divine form most directly confirm about the relationship between divinity and mortality?

Juno’s internal monologue distinguishes between a casual aff…

Juno’s internal monologue distinguishes between a casual affair and Semele’s pregnancy: “They say she’s no more trespassed on my marriage / Than a cloud-shadow crossing a mountain. / They should know the fact. / His brat is in her womb. / And that is a kind of marriage / Durable as the life of that creature.” What does Juno’s contrast between a cloud-shadow and a child in the womb most precisely reveal about her motivation?

Juno disguises herself as Semele’s old nurse Beroe: “Standin…

Juno disguises herself as Semele’s old nurse Beroe: “Standing on her threshold, a gummy old woman, / White wisps, / A sack of shrivelled skin propped on a stick / … This figure / Was the very double of Beroe, / Semele’s old nurse from Epidaurus. / Semele recognised and welcomed / Her old nurse. She never doubted a moment.” What does Juno’s choice of disguise most directly reveal about how the myth treats the relationship between trust and vulnerability?